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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25064695">The Last "I Love You"</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OTPGirl/pseuds/OTPGirl'>OTPGirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Erik and William [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Black Friday - Team StarKid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hehehe, I told you I was going to hurt Erik, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:46:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,573</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25064695</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OTPGirl/pseuds/OTPGirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik gets hurt on a mission and William gets a call.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Erik Herbert/ William Herbert, Xander Lee/ John McNamara (background)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Erik and William [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1759258</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Last "I Love You"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>William’s smartwatch made a soft noise, notifying him that he was receiving a phone call. He politely excused himself from the quiet conversation he had been having. With a glance at the smartwatch, he could see that John was calling him, and that did not bode well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>William swiftly left the teachers lounge and exited the building from the nearby door. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the mounting panic he felt inside of him. He stood against the school, leaning against the exterior brick wall. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he brought it up to his ear as he presses the answer button. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“John?” William silently curses himself for the small tremble in his voice as he answers. He doesn’t even know if anything is wrong yet, he needs to calm down. Maybe John was calling him to let him know that Erik was coming home from the mission early. But if that was the case, why wasn’t Erik calling him? Or just showing up at home and surprising him?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“William, we need your help.” Any hope that William had that he was just overreacting vanished at the grim tone of voice Erik’s pseudo father figure spoke with. “Erik’s been injured, very badly. I need you to talk to him. Medical is on the way, but we need him to stay awake until they can get there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>William tightens his grip on the phone, afraid that if he didn’t, it would slip from his grasp. Erik is hurt. Erik is dying. His breathing picks up, and he can feel his body start to tremble. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“William?” John prompts, pulling William out of his own spiraling thoughts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m here. What do you need me to do?” He slowly sits down, his feet flat against the ground, knees bent and back still against the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Keep him talking as long as possible. It doesn’t matter what you talk about just as long he’s talking, can you do that?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “I’m… I can do that.” He has to push his own feelings to the side and just worry about Erik. The most important thing is getting him home, everything else can wait until later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure, son?” John was offering him a way out, and while William appreciated it, he wasn’t going to take it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure.” John’s end of the line goes silent for a moment before he hears a faint click. For half a second, William is afraid that the call got disconnected, but it didn’t. Shallow, shaky breaths fill William’s ear accompanied by a soft groan of pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go ahead.” John speaks softly, softer than William has heard him speak before. William swallows heavily and blinks back the tears that are threatening to fall. Now is not the time for that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, soldier.” Willam somehow manages to keep his voice even and light. Well, lighter than he was expecting himself to be able too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Will?” Erik sounds genuinely surprised and confused at hearing his husbands voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m right here, love.” He reassures gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did dad call you?” Erik only ever calls John or Xander dad in moments of high emotion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Yeah, John called me.” There was a faint rustling coming from Erik’s side of the call accompanied by a hiss of pain. William wishes he was with Erik so he could offer him physical comfort, but this was all he could do at the moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ ‘m sorry.” It sounded like speaking was pure agony for Erik, and William bit his lip.  </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have anything to apologize for, dear.” William gently assures him, letting his head fall back against the wall behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ ‘re at work” Erik’s words were starting to slur, and that makes William’s heart start beating faster. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have a class right now. Besides, you’re more important than work.” Erik hums in response, but doesn’t say anything. “Erik, baby, I need to keep talking for me, okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hur’ss. ‘N I’m tired.” Erik’s voice is wavering and his breath catches. William wishes he could hold Erik close. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know. I know love. But you have to. John has medical on the way, and-and you need to stay awake until they get there.” William explains gently and Erik let out a quiet whine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ ‘m not gunna make it.” Erik sounds so sure, like there was not a single doubt in his mind that he was going to die. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Erik, don’t-” William wants to argue with him, but is cut off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’ , but iss okay. ‘m just glad I got ta speak to you one last time.” He can hear a small smile in his husband’s voice, but William shakes his head back and forth viciously as the tears start to stream down his face. It can’t end like this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Erik, please. You have to hold on. Please.” William is begging at this point, and he feels slightly wrong for it. He should be comforting Erik, but his panic is working hard to block that thought out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I ‘ove you, Will.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… I love you too, Erik. So damn much.” William is barely able to choke the words out. The other side of the line starts to get quite, the quick, shallow breathing slowly fading until William can’t hear it anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Erik?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Erik, please love.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still nothing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>William’s phone falls from his hand, clattering against the concrete and probably cracking, not that he cares. It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters right now. Erik, his husband, the love of his life, is dead. His body starts shaking as the sobs rip from his throat, head dropping forward against his knees as he wraps his arms around his legs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>William is not sure how long he sits there sobbing before he feels an arm wrap around his shoulders. He looks up, blinking tears from his eyes. Sitting next to him, offering the smallest amount of comfort, is Xander, Erik’s other adopted father. William presses his face against the older man’s shoulder, staining the shirt with his tears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s gone.” William’s voice cracks as Xander runs a soothing hand up and down his arm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know, I am so sorry, son.” William feels selfish, this man just lost someone who was like a child to him, and here he was, comforting William. But no matter how hard he tries to stop crying, he can’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them sit quietly for a while, the only sound being the heavy sobs still escaping William. He replays the conversation in his head over and over again. He stops when he remembers the tone of voice John had when giving William the go-ahead to start talking. It had been sad and yet resigned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Did John….</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did John know that Erik was…” He can’t bring himself to say dead. It almost seemed as if he said the word, then it would be real. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After he heard the details about Erik’s injuries, he knew it was a… highly likely possibility that Erik wouldn’t make it until the med team got there.” Xander chooses his words carefully. William pulls away from Xander and looks at him with wide eyes, shoulders tensing up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would he call me? Why did he make me hear that?” William struggles to understand. Was John just trying to be cruel? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He wanted to give you a chance to say goodbye. It’s not something that many of us will have the chance to do. Would you have rather he didn’t?” Xander isn’t being mean with his question, he was just honestly asking. William thinks for a moment. Would he have rather just gotten a call from John or Xander telling him that Erik was dead? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No. William was able to offer Erik some comfort before he died, and that was worth everything. His shoulders slump and he shakes his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. As much as it hurts, I’m glad I was able to be there for him. Even if I wasn’t there physically.” Xander gives him a small, sad smile and stands up, extending his hand to William. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, let’s head back to PEIP.” William takes the offered hand and lets the other man pull him up. He glances at the door leading back to the teacher’s lounge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My afternoon classes-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have already been taken care of.” William hesitates slightly, debating on just going home instead of to PEIP with Xander. It seems as if the older man could read his mind because he shakes his head with a sad look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t be alone right now, William. Erik wouldn’t want that for you.” He’s right. Of course he’s right. William nods his head and Xander puts his arm back around the younger man’s shoulders and leads him to the PEIP issued Jeep sitting in the parking lot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once they are in the car, Xander slips something into William’s hand. He looks down at it and sees his phone. William had utterly forgotten to pick it up from the ground, but it seems Xander hadn’t. He presses the side button, and his screen lights up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There is Erik, smiling up at him from the screen, a slight crack in the corner, thankfully not covering his husband’s face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s going to be hard. Unbelievably hard, but with the help of Erik’s famil-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He glances at Xander out of the corner of his eye. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the help of </span>
  <em>
    <span>their </span>
  </em>
  <span>family, William knows that he’ll be able to get through it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I love my boys, I do. But I love to hurt them, and also all of you.</p><p>(Heh, that rhymed)</p><p>Come talk to me on Tumblr:<br/>Ijustwantjohnmcnamaratobehappyok</p></blockquote></div></div>
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